Songbird
by Blackbird
Summary: A musical maniac decides to really rip it up in a Karoke bar, can the teen Titans stop him before he destroys all that's good about music....or worse yet, force them to sing?


**Disclaimer: **I don't own Teen Titans or any of the songs used within this fic. I do, however, own both the original characters and therefore any use of them by any other author must be cleared by my first.

**SONGBIRD**

Zanzibar was usually a fairly quite and peaceful karaoke club. It was a place for weekday warriors to come unwind on a Friday with a night of drinks mixed with off key versions of their favorite songs. For the most part the patrons were well behaved with out a few rowdies disturbing the peace, but they were quickly taken care of by the bouncers. Beyond that, the bar had always been lucky to be largely ignored by the city's more…colorful citizens.

Tonight, however, that luck ran out.

At first, people shrugged the newcomer off. Zanzibar was widely known as one of the best karaoke bars in town, THE best according to the manager, and therefore it was not so surprising to see people truly get into the spirit of things and come dressed up. So when a man wearing a ripped, studded shoulder, black leather jacket, matching fingerless gloves, a faded Queen T-Shirt, blue jeans and combat boots walked in, most of the bar goers shrugged him off. Although the almost two foot tall crop of spiked, bleach blond hair did raise a few eyebrows for a moment. It was also not uncommon for people to bring in their own instruments to help capture the feel of the original song, so the blood red electric guitar he had slugged over his shoulder also went unnoticed.

It was when he played a few notes on his guitar and a blue beam of energy shot out of the end and destroyed half the stage when the people finally pay any real attention to him.

The scene then quickly dissolved into one that has become common place for Jump City. A madman standing and laughing amid the chaos he is causing while frightened citizens run for their lives.

"Aw, what's the matter? No one wants to stay for my concert? Come on! I guarantee it'll bring the house down!" he shouted manically.

With that, he renewed his assault on the club and its attendants. Amid the sounds of laser bolts, shattering glass, screaming customers, breaking tables and the loud wailing of his guitar, the stranger began spouting off anti-karaoke rantings and how pop music was the death of true rock and roll. It only came to a stop when a red and yellow boomerang shaped like a bird struck the end of the guitar with such force it caused the deranged rocker to tilt his weapon upward and blast out one of the overhead lights. He traced the bird-a-rang's path back towards its user and found five teenagers dressed in bright costumes standing in a battle formation near the door. Those still trapped in the bar let out a sigh of relief upon seeing them for they knew they were now safe. This group of kids were in fact the city's protectors; they were the Teen Titans.

"Sorry, but this concert's just been canceled," Robin remarked after he caught his bird-a-rang.

"Oh I don't think so. Not now that the main event has arrived. But before we go on, allow me to introduce myself. I am Thrash, Rocker Extraordinaire!" The guitar wielder shouted as he hit a rather high pitched cord on his guitar and pumped a fist into the air.

"Dude, why is it we attract all the weirdos?" Beast Boy whispered to Cyborg.

"Just lucky I guess," the half robot replied with a shrug.

"Hey! Who said you could talk during MY concert?!" Thrash cried out.

"Oh we'll do much more than talk," Robin spoke again. "Titans, GO!"

At their leader's command, the Titans moved forward. Beast Boy took the lead by morphing into a panther and racing towards the villain. Unfortunately, Thrash was faster than him and struck a few cords that caused a bolt of energy to fly out from the tip of his guitar and strike the charging animal dead on. The panther roared in pain for a few seconds before it reverted back to the human form of Beast Boy who wondered around in a daze for a moment then fell to the floor with a loud thud.

Robin then sprang forward, using his bo staff to vault himself towards Thrash, intent on hitting the villian in the head. This attack was delfected as well when Trash used the wammy bar to create a force feild around himself. Robin collided with it hard and for a moment was suspended in midair before the field lashed out and sent him flying backwards through the air and crashing into a nearby table.

Before Robin even landed Starfire was in the air and charging the musical maniac. She had tried to catch her friend while he was flailing about but had just barely missed his hand. Enraged, she doubled her efforts to stop the madman before he hurt anymore of her friends. She flew at full force to tackle him but he succeeded in sidestepping her and in one fluid motion unslung the guitar from his back, brought it forward and hit her directly in the face. The momentium of her own flight combined with the force of the hit was enough to send her sailing back towards the bar where she bounced off the large mirror behind it before falling to the floor behind the bar.

"Ha! Look at that!" Trash remarked as he swung the guitar back over his shoulder and strummered a few cords. "Takes a knockin' but keeps on rockin'."

"Yo broom head! You wanna play around with sound? Well how'd ya like the sound of this?!" Cyborg shouted before he transformed his arm into its sonic cannon form.

He then fired at Trash, but the mad musican held his instrutment/weapon in front of him and much to Cyborg's surprise his blast was absorbed by the item. Thrash smirked before he pointed the tip towards the cybornetic teen and positioned his fingers on the strings.

"Thanks for the charge. Now here's a song just for you!"

Cyborg's eyes widened when he saw the energy build up at the end of the guitar. He then shut them and braced himself for the impact of the impending blast, but was surprised when it never came. Curious he opened his real eye to see a black forcefeild in front of him holding that attack back. He glanced over towards his side to spot Raven there, fresh from evacuating the remaining customers.

"Thanks," he said.

She nodded then said, "Looks like his guitar can absorb soundwaves. We're going to have to think of another way to deal with him."

"I'm open to suggestions."

Starfire groaned as she slowly re-entered the conscious world. The first thing she became aware of was a pounding headache. The second was the pain racing through her mid and lower back. The third was someone talking to her, though she was still too dazed to make out what actual words. Slowly, she forced her eyes open and looked in the voice's direction. Her vision was still blurred but she was able to make out some of the speaker's features. The first thing to draw where attention where the eyes. They were green, bright green. In fact they seemed to be completely green. His skin also seemed to be an orange color, much like her own. Add to it all a crop of red hair and her confusion only increased.

"Am-am I back on Tamaran?" she asked, her voice sounding detached and far off.

"I'm afraid not," the voice that replied was masculine. "Hell at this point even **I** wish I was back on Tamaran."

Any futher questions Starfire was about to ask were cut off by a loud scream which snapped her into full consciousness. She bolted upright into a sitting position and immediately regretted it as pain surged through her back. She pushed it aside to focus on the matter at hand. 

"Yes, I remember now! We were fighting the bad man with the strange weapon when-"

She stopped when she noticed the figure sitting next to her. She gasped and her eyes widen now that she had gotten a better look at him. He did indeed have her complextion and eyes as well as red hair, though his appeared to be jelled into small spikes. His attire was even purple, though his was in the form of a Earthen suit and he did appear to be fairly older than herself, but there was still one undeniable fact...

"You ARE Tamaranien!" she shouted joyfully before she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him in a crushing hug. "Oh what a joyous occassion to find one of my kinsmen here on Earth! You MUST tell me how you came to be here."

"Yeah, yeah we'll catch up later," the other Tamaranien replied as he tried to pry her off him. "But first can you stop the madman with the crazy guitar from blowing up my club?"

"Oh yes," Starfire said then gave a nervous chuckle as she pulled away from him.

Slowly the Tamaranian princess peered over the top of the bar. What she saw quickly drove to rage. Of all her fellow Titans only Cyborg remained fighting, and even then his effort looked, at best, a stalling effort. Raven was unconscious on the floor, Robin seemed to still be buried under the table he had been thrown into and Beast Boy was laying in the heap he was in since he first tried to attack Thrash. Eyes glowing green with anger, Starfire shot several beams of energy at the mad man, only to have them deflected back at her and her current hiding spot. She let out a slight squeak of surprise before she ducked back behind the bar shortly before her own blasts blew a large hole in the wooden structure.

"Oh that's just great!" the host shouted in annoyance.

"Ha! I knew I saw someone hide behind the bar!" Thrash called out triumphantly.

"Well bully for you!"

Thrash was about to send another retort the host's way until a blow from Cybrog's sonic cannon sent him crashing to the floor. Forunately, his guitar had absorbed most of the blast like before, but the unexceptedness of it caused him to lose his balance. He groaned a little and started to stand back up when he heard a loud war like cry off to his right. When he looked in the direction of the scream he saw Robin already in the middle of a drop kick. He scrambled to get out of the way, but unfortunately was not fast enough and soon felt Robin's boot slam into his back. He let out another groan of pain as he tumbled across the floor once more. He growled in frustration then quickly spun around to fire off another blast at the Boy Wonder.

Robin moved in time to avoid the blast and unleashed an assualt of Bird-a-rang's upon the villian. Unfortunately, Thrash was able to shoot down each one before they could cause him any harm. He then turned his weapon towards the Titan leader himself, but his attack was circumvented by a green flying squirrel attaching itself to his face. He let out a series of muffled screams and fired wildly as he fought to get the abnormal rodent off his face. One of the blasts arched over the assembled super teens and flew straight towards the selection panel for the karoke machine setting upon the stage.

Behind the partially destroyed bar, the host cringed at the thought of his last, most vaulable, piece of equipment being destroyed as well. He let out a sigh of relief and thanked any and all deties that were listening when the beam only acted in starting up the machine's jukebox function. The last action to be taken was Thrash finally prying the squirrel off his face and throwing him to the ground before the voice of Freddy Mercury filled the room.

_Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time  
I feel alive... and the world turning inside out Yeah!  
And floating around in ecstasy  
So don't stop me now, don't stop me  
Cos' I'm having a good time having a good time_

"Who put this song on?!" Cyborg asked, giving Robin a confused look.

"It's on random!" the host called out.

"Wonderful."

_  
I'm a shooting star leaping through the sky  
Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity  
I'm a racing car passing by like Lady Godiva  
I'm gonna go, go, go, there's no stopping me  
I'm burning through the sky Yeah!  
Two hundred degrees, that's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit  
I'm travelling at the speed of light  
I wanna make a supersonic man out of you  
_  
"Alright, here's the plan," Robin spoke loudly in order to have voice heard over the music. "Cyborg, you help me take this creep down. Beast Boy, go check on Raven. Starfire, kill the Queen."

"What?!" Starfire shrieked, horrified.

Robin sighed. "The music Star!"

"Oh yes, right away," she said then flew over to the karaoke machine.

_Don't stop me now I'm having such a good time  
I'm having a ball, don't stop me now  
If you wanna have a good time just give me a call   
Don't stop me now (because I'm having a good time)  
Don't stop me now (yes I'm having a good time)  
I don't want to stop at all_

While Starfire attended to the machine and Beast Boy looked after Raven, Robin and Cyborg continued their assualt. Much to their dismay, the fight again devolved into a standstill with Bird-a-rangs, sonic blasts and laser beams flying everywhere. Much to their surprise as the fight dragged on it seemed to move in time with the music. Even Beast Boy, as he checked on their fallen teammate, found himself swaying to the tune of the music.

_I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars  
On a collision course  
I am a satellite I'm out of control  
I am a sex machine ready to reload   
Like an atom bomb about to  
Oh oh oh oh oh explode _

"Why is Queen still on?!" Robin shouted in frustration.

"I am unable to locate the off switch!" Starfire called back.

"Great."

"What's wrong?!" Thrash called out. "This is classic music! That's what's wrong with you kids today, you just can't apperciate the greats of the past! No, now all you want to hear is uninspired, repetitive, unoriginal, studio controlled crap that's all style over substance! You really thinkin anyone's going to give a crap about any of these bands in five years?! Hell, can you even name a band from five years ago?!"

"Is **that** what this is all about?! You're tearing this place up cause you're mad at the music we got?!" Cyborg asked in amazement.

"Yes! Someone needs to teach you about real music one way or another! Real music is dying thanks to those sholcks out there! I mean come on! Pop princesses trying to be punk?! Pleeeaasse! And places like this are only helping in killing good music!"

_I'm burning through the sky Yeah!, two hundred degrees  
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit  
I'm travelling at the speed of light  
I wanna make a supersonic woman of you _

"Oh please!" a new voice chimed in.

It was at this point that everyone noticed the music had finally stopped. After they recovered from the infectious tune, most of combatents returned to the task at hand, save for one:

"What did you say?" Thrash demanded as he glared at the host.

"I said please! As in get off your high horse! I've seen plenty of guys like you coming in here night after night screaming about the 'decline of music'! Sure some of these kids aren't as great some of the guys from the past, but at least they're not coming into people's bars and wreaking up the place!"

"And what would you know about music? You run a karaoke bar! Hell, you don't even look like you're human!"

"More human than you! I actually try to **help** people! And I'll have you know I've done extensive research into Earth's music!"

"Yeah well-"

Thrash's rebuttal was cut short when he was tackled by Robin. The two tumbled the ground and struggled with one another as Robin tried desperately to get the guitar away from the crazied rocker, only to have Thrash counter his every move. His moves were hardly anything invovled or complex but they were just enough to keep the Boy Wonder's hands off his precious instrutment. With one final grunt of effort he was finally able to kick the Titan's leader off of him, then turned a dail on the side of his weapon.

"Alright, let's try a different tune," he muttered.

He jumped to this feet then unleashed another attack on young superhero. This time his attack hit Robin directly, but much to his surprise, instead of being hurt or blown back but the beam, it wrapped around his body and forced him to the ground. He grinned at his own handy work then went about repeating the process with the other Titans. As with before, however, they were able to avoid most of his attempts of his renewed assault. Soon enough though, he was able to at least tag them which was all the new beams needed to trangle them up. The last victim was the host of the bar, who had been trying to protect his karaoke machine throught the attack. Once he had them all captured, Thrash used his guitar to place them all in a row just in front of the stage. He walked over to them with a triumphant smirk on his face.

"Well, well, well, lookie what I got here," he said gleefully. "Looks like I captured the Teen Titans. And this annoying bartender."

"Hey! I happen to own this place, thank you very much," the host remarked.

"Whatever. Actually that makes it even worse! That means you've got NO respesct for music!"

"Exuse me?! I'm not the one that came in there and started tearing up the place."

"No, but you are the one who started this club and places like this are killing music along with the rest of the crap currently on the air."

"Where do you come up with this stuff?! You think just because you wear that shirt and have some tricked out guitar that you're some kind authority on music?"

"Probably more than you. Like I said, you don't even look human. You look just like her," Thrash remarked, nodding to Starfire.

"That is because he is from home planet of Tamaran," Starfire spoke up.

"Ha! I knew it! Alien. So what makes you think you know anything about our music?" Thrash retorted, looking back at the host.

"What? You think that just because I'm not from Earth I can't appreicate your music? If anything I can apperciate it more than you because it's still new to me. Definately a lot better than the so-called 'music' of my home planet."

Starfire gasped. "How can you say such horrible things about the music from our home planet? How can you not appreciate the loud shrieking of the blubblspires?"

"Maybe because it sounds like someone choking a cat with a hotair ballon. I mean have you heard some of the stuff they have on this planet?"

"I have and while it is true some of the music here is quite pleasing, nothing can truely match the beauty of Tamaranien music."

"Well I guess it's just a matter of opinion then," the host relented then leaned over towards Beast Boy. "Though I still prefer the music here over that racket anyday."

"No kidding," Beast Boy agreed, the memory of Tarama and ALL it's weird customs still fresh in his mind.

"Enough!" Thrash screamed, drawing attention back to himself. "Who's the one in charge here?!"

The answer to his supposed rethotical question came in the form of a black shadow eveloping his guitar and yanking it roughly away from him. He and his captives all watched as the instrument floated over to a freshly conscious Raven. She manuvered it to hover next to her shoulder as she glared at the villain.

"Looks like I am," she said in her usual monotone.

"Damn! I forogt about her," Trash muttered, but quickly regained is composure. "Alright. So you think you're in charge? Well then go right ahead, break my guitar," he dared.

Raven quirked an eyebrow at his challenge and his smug expression. "Why?"

"Cause it's decided to send out one last signal if it's broken. One that will cause those energy bands around your friends there to contract and cut them into ribbins."

"Alright. Then I'll just have to take you and get them out myself."

"Go right ahead. **I'm** the only one who knows the right cords to set them free. I mean you can try to find them, but who knows what will happen? You might end up killing them anyway."

Raven found herself getting quickly aggitated with the madman. There was a chance she could use her powers to break her teammate's and the host's bonds but there was an equally good chance that the two could react badly to each other and kill them anyway. She growled in frustration but quickly took a deep, calming breath before anything bad happened. There was no use getting mad. There were at a stalemate, she had to accept that.

"Alright," she spoke, her voice emotionless again, "So I can't remove those bands and I'm not about to give you back your guitar."

"Kinda of a hard spot isn't it?" Thrash smiked again. "But there is one thing you can do me that would make me release your friends."

"And what's that?"

He didn't answerd her directly. Instead he simply turned his head towards the stage then back towards her and twitched his eyebrows. At first she gave him a confused look in return, but it slowly dawned on her what exactly he was hinting at. He couldn't be serious, could he? What possible purpose would that serve? Was he really **that** committed to this music gimmick?

"You're serious, aren't you?" she asked, though she was afraid she already knew the answer.

"Yes!" he exclaimed.

"But why?"

"Because it's a test of mettle. It's a thing very few people can do. It's something that make one's spirits soar or rip appear their very souls."

"Aren't you just being a tad overdramatic about this?"

Thrash's shoulders slummed at her casual put down of his speech. "Fine. But you still have to get up there and sing."

"WHAT?!?" the others cried out in surprise.

"I want her to go up there and sing? What's so hard to understand about that?"

"But...weren't you the one just going on a big rant about how evil karaoke was and how it was destroying the very foundation of music?" Cyborg questioned.

"Well...I...that is...I'm the one in charge here I can do whatever I want!"

"Technically, we're at a stand still," Raven corrected.

"Whatever! Just get up there and sing!"

"What if I can't find a song I like?"

"Oh that's not possible," the host spoke up. "I went to great lengthes to jam that thing full of just about every song out there. Of course that's assuming that broom head here didn't fry it when he blasted the thing."

"Wasn't my fault and...arrgh! Everyone else just shut up! You," he pointed at Raven, "Get up there and sing!"

Raven let out a sigh and looked over at her friends. She had to do this to save them. It was the only way or at least the only way that came to her at the moment. She braced herself then walked up on the stage, Thrash's guitar hovering behind her as she went. She looked over the machine and after switching it back to the karaoke setting, began to look through the list of songs. Apparently the host hadn't been lying as there was a rather extensive list in he machine's computer. She saw a few that piqued her interests but nothing that she knew well enough that she could sing with the kind of performance that the madman was no doubt looking for. She stopped and her eyes widened when she saw one song inparticular. She couldn't believe he had **that** one in there.

_He really did go out of his way to get songs,_ she thought. _But can I really sing this in front of the others? No doubt Beast Boy would never let me live it down. But it's the only way. I _**have** _to do it._

Sighing once again she pressed the selection button then walked over to the microphone. She used the slight pause before the music began to calm her growing nervousness, knowing that it would not only effect her singing ability but was also a useless emotion to begin with. She closed her eyes as the music began to play so she could allow herself to envolped in it's rythm. Had she left her eyes open a second longer she could have seen the surprised looks on her teammates faces as they had expected her to play something rather dark, and hard and...well gothic. Instead what they got with a light, rather cheery piano introduction before she began to sing, which surprisingly was rather high pitched and cheery as well.

_Sometimes I think oh yes_

_I'd move to where all the shooting stars are gone_

_With all of our wishes_

_How could they bare oh no_

_To carry around the stupid human hopes_

_So I'm going to help I will_

_Give a key to lock the door_

_To the secret paradise_

_There are so many queuing up_

_And I won't let them in_

_Look at them_

_They are cheeky_

_They are never worthy_

_to be saved_

_Sometimes I feel oh yes_

_I could do almost everything I wanted_

_And it makes me cry_

_Lay your heart_

_Lay your soul_

_Upon my magic carpet_

_Now we are flying_

_To Venus just to kill some time for tea OK_

_Remember_

_Surrender_

_There's nothing you can do_

_Cause love's such a joke_

_Like a little jack in the box you know_

_A little jack in the box_

_Lay your heart_

_Lay your soul_

_Upon my magic carpet_

_Now we are flying_

_To Venus just to kill some time for tea OK_

_Lay your heart_

_Lay your soul_

_Upon my magic carpet_

_Now we are flying_

_To Venus just to kill some time for tea OK_

_Remember_

_Surrender_

_There's nothing you can do_

_Cause love's such a joke_

_Like a little jack in the box you know_

_A little jack in the box_

The entirely assembly of onlookers were silent as the song wound to it's conclusion. None of the other Titans would ever have imagined that Raven, Raven of all people, could ever sing anything so...light and touching. It was almost as if she had put...emotions into the song. It was something so unexpected that it had left them speechless throughout the song and contiuned until she walked off the stage, they just continued to stare at her in stunned silence. Even the host stared at her throughout most of the song, mostly impressed by her voice, but there was something else he picked up as well. Something he would have to talk to the gothic girl about when they were released. If they were released.

"Raven. How do you know **that** song?!" Beast Boy questioned her as she walked by him.

"I don't want to talk about it," she replied curtly.

"Now that's more like it."

"So?" Raven looked at Thrash.

"You did good. Not my style of music, but damn that was awesome! So by the code of rock, I'll honor my bargin and let your friends go," he replied and held out his hand.

Caustiously she floated the instrument back over to his hands and released her mental hold on it. She took a defensive stance incase he tried anything suspcious, but much to her relief the cords he played did indeed release the others from their bonds. The other Titans up and after a quick stretch surrounded the criminal again. However, instead of another prolouged battle, he simply handed his guitar back to Raven and held his hands up in surrender. Before anyone one could say a word, they heard the door fly open and saw the a few police officers charge into the bar.

"Oh, NOW you show up!" the host shouted indignately.

"Yeah, they have a real knack for doing that," Cyborg retorted.

Soon enough Thrash had been handcuffed and taken away by the police, leaving only the Titans alone in the wreaked club with the host standing in the middle of a rubbish pile that was once his best tables. He sighed and hung his head at the mess.

"Well...I have been meaning to remodel," he said in a half hearted tone.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Robin apologized, rubbing the back of his head neverously.

"Eh, it wasn't your fault. If anything I should thank you for saving as much as you did. Least I still have the machine left. One of the biggest parts of a karaoke club. I'll just have to call in a few favors in order to get things fixed up."

"Well good luck."

"Thanks. Looks like I'll need it."

"Yes and now that the Thrash has been apprehended and his weapon is securly in our position, I have my questions for you my fellow Tamaranien!" Starfire said cheerfully as she floated up next to him. "Whatisyournamewhendidyouarriveherehowdidyoustartthisclubwhenwillyoubeabletovistus-"

"Whoa! Whoa! Slow down!" the host remarked holding his hands up to try and calm down the excited princess. "First, my name is Karras and I came to Earth about...ten years ago."

"Ten years?! You've been here ten years and nobody's noticed?!" Beast Boy shouted excitely.

"Well I haven't been HERE, I've just been on Earth for ten years. I've only been here and started this club about...oh...two years ago next May."

"But why did you leave Taraman?" Starfire asked.

"Well I could ask you the same question."

"Oh well it all started-"

"Star, I really don't think we need to get into that now," Robin spoke up to cut her off before she started the rather looong story of how she came to be on this planet.

"Alright. Perhaps another time then," she replied in her ever cheerful tone.

Karras, as well as the other Titans looked over at Robin and gave him a look that said "Thank you". He gave a slight nod before addressing the group again.

"Well guys, it's been a long day and I think we could all use a little R&R and I'm sure Karras here wants to get to work on fixing his club," he said.

"After I fix myself a few drinks," Karras remarked.

"Uh right. Well we'll get out of your way for that too. Come on, let's go."

With that the Titans began to file out of the club, taking careful steps so as to not step on anything and break it even more. Karras watched them all go and as luck would have it Raven was dragging behind slightly. Seizing the moment he walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey can I talk to you a minute before you go?" he asked her gently.

"I really should keep up with the others," she explained.

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind waiting. I just want to talk a bit."

"About what?"

"Well for one that amazing singing voice of yours. You know I happen to know a few important people in the music bizz and I bet I could get you a contract."

"Sorry, but I don't sing that much."

"Yeah I caught on to that. As well as a couple other things."

This piqued Raven's interest. "Like what?"

"Like the real reason you happen to like that song at the moment. I'm sorry about that by the way."

The girl's eyes narrowed and a slight surge of power flew from her finger tips as anged boiled up slightly within her.

"You read my mind?!" she exclaimed in a strained whispered so the others wouldn't overhear.

"Just that bit. You see kiddo, I'm mostly empathic with a few telepathic abilities. I can sense peoples emotions and with a little digging I can find out the cause of it. And during your little show up there I couldn't help but read you. Let me tell ya, there is a lot going up there. I'm sensing major father issues."

"Does this have a point?" Raven asked, growing more irritated by the minute.

"Yes, the point is this. I got that you can't show your emotions or bad things will happen. So you shut yourself off to everyone else in fear of hurting them, but unfortunately that's just making things worse for you. No one should ever be alone."

"I know," Raven said softly. "But I can't let them in, if I do..."

"What? Bad things will happen? Look from what I saw today they can handle bad things. The real question is, are you going to be able to handle being alone all the time? What do you think **that** will do to your emotions?"

The gothic girl tried to give him an answer, but was unable to come up with one. In truth, it was a question she had asked herself many times during her meditations.  
If she continued to push the others way would she be doing them favor in protecting them or herself more harm in feeling even more isolated then before. She had let them get close to her in recent months and nothing bad had happened. She even allowed someone into her heart but then that...

"No," she said softly. "I can't. The risk is too great."

"Is it really? Or is that just what you're telling yourself?" Karras asked.

"I...why are you doing this?"

"Well to paraphrase Whoopi, I am Karras. I tend bar and I listen. I also make a pretty mean martinni but you won't be able to find that out for a couple years. Look, the point is just go talk to them. Let them in a bit. You'd be surprised what having a few close friends can do to help your emotional state."

Raven was about to respond when Beast Boy's voice came from outside.

"Yo Raven! You ready to go or what?!" the changlening called out.

"Then again," Karras remarked.

Raven gave him a slight smile before she turned around and head outside to join the other Titans. She stopped and looked them over as they all piled into the T-car. As much as she didn't like to take advise from others, especially someone she had just met, Karras did have a point. She had let them in a little over her time with the team and nothing bad had happened. In fact, it felt rather nice to have friends she knew she could trust to have her back and help her out when she needed. Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad thing if she spent a little less time in her room.

"Just a little," she said to herself as she slipped into the back of the T-car.

**Author's Notes: **Bit of a departure for me as I usually put the author's note before the story but there was some things I wanted to addres that I didn't want to give away. Most notably the songs. As I said, they don't belong to me naturally. The song "Don't Stop Me Now" belongs to Queen as stated in the fic and the song Raven sang is call "Flying Teapot" and...well I don't know who it belongs to but it's from the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack and is a really good song. I recommend you guys out there find it and have a listen. It's good. As stated in the song it's not something you'd expect hear Raven sing which is what made it funny for me. But that's just my twisted sense of humor. And before anyone asks, yes I did get the original idea for fic from the Justice Leauge Ulimited ep "This Little Piggy" where Batman sang. I thought it was hilarious and then I started thinking what would happen if it were the Titans there and well...this fic is a result of it. Hope you all enjoyed it. A no prize goes out to anyone who gets the musical reference for the name for the bar as well as what movie is being paid homage to with the use of the Queen song. "One more thing"! I want to thank my friend Jubilee Wildfire for not only coming up with Karras' name but also writing a couple paragraphs for when I was really stuck. Couldn't have done with out ya WF.


End file.
